The Investing News Network (INN) sat down with Srinath Rengarajan, senior automotive research analyst at Oliver Wyman, at the 6th International Nickel Conference last week.

Topics covered at the show included how nickel will remain relevant in the battery market, the evolution of the electric vehicle (EV) sector and what needs to happen next to ensure green vehicles become a common sight on our roads and highways.

The two-day conference, held in downtown Toronto, was the first time in decades that analysts and specialists from the automotive sector were invited to a nickel-centric conference, a welcome shift from the mining-focused nature of most industry conferences.

“I think this is a significant shift,” said Rengarajan. “Mining industry experts who have been living in their own space and thinking in their own industry terms for so long are now suddenly looking outside. And what they’re doing is basically looking downstream, in their value chain, and seeing automotive as an important end customer for their products.”

This focus on collaboration was a steady theme throughout the conference, especially when it came to presentations around the future of the EV sector. The concept will also be key in terms of developing and implementing the next generation of batteries that will power electric cars, buses and other modes of transport.